What is the training of a Naturopathic Physician?
Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) attend a four-year, post-baccalaureate medical program, complete with two years of supervised, clinical training through direct patient care. The academic training of a naturopathic physician includes all of the basic medical sciences, in addition to specialty courses, similar to the medical education of a conventional physician. Upon graduation, all licensed naturopaths are required to pass a two-part national board exam in order to be eligible for state licensure. Each year once licensed, all NDs are required to earn Continuing Education credits to ensure they remain up to date with the latest research and medical findings.
What exactly is meant by Naturopathic Medicine?
The field of Naturopathic Medicine is one that builds on a centuries' old philosophy that is shared by many cultures the world over. Encompassing aspects of different therapeutic modalities including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), western herbalism, physical medicine, nutrition, and functional medicine, naturopathy is a broad field of medicine with many powerful therapies. Naturopathic doctors work to combine elements of these different modalities to find the treatment that is best for their patients. In addition to the use of herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other natural-based supplements, most naturopathic physicians use conventional and alternative laboratory testing as part of a complete treatment plan. While some of the treatments have been used for centuries by old-world healers, 21st-century research is finding new ways to make treatments more bioavailable and more effective than ever before.